The Swiss popuwation of approximatewy 8.4 miwwion peopwe concentrates mostwy in cities such as Zurich and Geneva on de Pwateau. Switzerwand is one of de richest countries in de worwd by per capitagross domestic product, wif a nominaw per capita GDP of $87,475. The Swiss Confederation has a wong history of neutrawity, and is home to many internationaw organisations. Switzerwand comprises dree main winguistic and cuwturaw regions: German, French, and Itawian, to which de Romansh-speaking vawweys are added.

Absinde originated in Switzerwand as an ewixir, but is better known for its popuwarity in wate 19f- and earwy 20f-century France. At de height of dis popuwarity, absinde was portrayed as a dangerouswy addictive, psychoactive drug; de chemicaw dujone was bwamed for most of its deweterious effects. By 1915 it was banned in a number of European countries and de United States. Even dough it was viwified, no evidence shows it to be any more dangerous dan ordinary awcohow awdough few modern medicaw studies have been conducted to test dis. A modern absinde revivaw began in de 1990s, as countries in de European Union began to reaudorize its manufacture and sawe.

The Swiss constitutionaw ban on absinde was repeawed in 2000 during a generaw overhauw of de nationaw constitution, but de prohibition was written into ordinary waw instead. Later dat waw was awso repeawed, so from March 2, 2005, absinde is again wegaw in its country of origin, after nearwy a century of prohibition, uh-hah-hah-hah. Absinde is now not onwy sowd in Switzerwand, but is once again distiwwed in its Vaw-de-Travers birdpwace, wif Kübwer and La Cwandestine Absinde among de first new brands to emerge, awbeit wif an underground heritage.